Tsurune: The Linking Shot - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Tsurune: The Linking Shot - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Tsurune The Linking Shot is an action-packed series with plenty to offer archery fans. Created by Kotoko Ayano, Tsurune The Linking Shot features animation production by Kyoto Animation (Beyond the Boundary, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya). Originally broadcast on Asahi Broadcasting Corporation, AT-X, Nippon BS Broadcasting Corporation, and Tokyo MX, Tsurune The Linking Shot has been licensed for home media release in North American by distributor Sentai Filmworks. The theme music is performed by Luck Life (opening) and Tei (ending).

Produced by Issei Okuma, Kazunari Yasui (Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S, Tamayomi: The Baseball Girls), Masayuki Nishide (Plastic Memories, Servant × Service), Megumi Suzuki (Free! -Dive to the Future, Sound! Euphonium The Movie - Our Promise: A Brand New Day), Sakiko Yamamoto, Shigeru Saitō (Beyond the Boundary, The Eccentric Family), Shinichi Nakamura (The Demon Girl Next Door, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid), Yoko Hatta (K-ON!, Clannad After Story), Yota Tsuruoka, and Yuka Sakurai (Demon King Daimao, The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky), Tsurune The Linking Shot features an impressive vocal cast including Yūto Uemura, Aoi Ichikawa, and Ryōta Suzuki. The anime picks up the pace. Tsurune The Linking Shot is the second season of the hit anime series.

The dreams of archery are never over for those with a passion for the sport. Minato Narumiya (Yūto Uemura) dreams big and doesn’t let go of his own dreams. Picking back up where he left off, the enjoyment and passion of shooting arrows brings him back to the fold. The epic return to the tournament game helps Kazemai High’s Kyudo Club excel in the tournament and the path ultimately leads to a win during the Prefectoral Championship.

Yet a momentary win doesn’t signal endless and unending success. A new team enters the stage and the stakes are raised in the game of archery. An old competition is renewed between Kazemai and Kirisaki while another opponent enters the equation and shakes up the game. Making matters even more interesting, the women’s archery team has now begun to find success with archers Yuna, Rika, and Noa taking on new roles in the tournament. Who will win the game and walk away as the champion of archery?

The series has a good roster of characters. The characters certainly are an important part of the series. The saga is one that unfolds for fans of the franchise – with the characters along for the journey. The character designs by Miku Kadowaki (Beyond the Boundary, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid) add to Tsurune The Linking Shot and the production value. The designs are well-done and in the same style as the first season of the series.

The animation is one of the greatest strengths of Tsurune The Linking Shot. The art style is one that stays true to the first season outing and continues to provide impression animation for the world of archery. Impressive aesthetic qualities help to keep the production going in an impressive manner. The art direction by Shōko Ochiai (Tsurune The Movie: The First Shot, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S) is noteworthy and so is the chief animation direction by Nobuaki Maruki (Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S, Amagi Brilliant Park). The animators do a great job with the series and with bringing together an array of interesting visuals for the series. This is a fun element of the series – seeing the animation unfold and the manner in which it enhances the style of the series. A quality effort from the animation team.

The cinematography by Kōhei Funamoto (Violet Evergarden, Tsurune The Movie: The First Shot) is an impressive part of the production. The cinematography is sleek and visually splendid. The style has capably showcased the aesthetic of the animation and helped to bring out the best in the series. Outstanding cinematographic flourishes aid the series tenfold, with the series having a robust and rewarding art style enhanced by the cinematography.

The score composed by Masaru Yokoyama (Hyperdimension Neptunia, Unbreakable Machine-Doll) is a highlight of the series and something that works well with the production. The score is charming and engaging. The music fits the scenes of archery and works well with the framework of the series and characters. A compelling score by Yokoyama.

Written by Michiko Yokote (Children of the Whales, Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches), Tsurune The Linking Shot has some fun with the concept of the series. The world of archery is explored in a smart manner. Yokote handles the balance of characters and setting in a way that is interesting and will be worthwhile for fans of the first season – who will want to continue to go on this journey.

Directed by Takuya Yamamura (Tsurune The Movie: The First Shot, Violet Evergarden), Tsurune The Linking Shot picks up the tempo with the second season outing. The second season has more of the qualities of the series that made the series a success in the first place. Fans of the anime series and franchise will want to continue to explore the tales of these characters and their world in archery. Fans should certainly consider taking the next step with the second season.

Tsurune: The Linking Shot - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Sentai Filmworks, Tsurune The Linking Shot is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation is impressive and showcases vibrant animation. The beautiful high- definition video impresses in spades with good color reproduction and line art detail. Fans of anime will find this presentation has a crisp and engaging encode that showcases the quality of the animation well. The encoding capably handles the scenes of archery. The Blu-ray release provides a superior video quality presentation to streaming video services, which offer video with more compression (and the bit-rates on Blu-ray disc are higher). As a result, true videophiles who want the absolute best presentation quality possible will want to see it on disc as Blu-ray provides the ultimate viewing experience obtainable.

Tsurune: The Linking Shot - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with English subtitles). The release has an impressive sounding lossless audio presentation. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand on the release. The soundtrack is crisp, clear, and engaging during the presentation. The score is well reproduced and showcased on the release. The soundstage impresses. The release capably handles the sound direction of Yota Tsuruoka (Arakawa Under the Bridge, Blue Submarine No.6). The lossless audio is one of the best qualities of the release. Blu-ray provides lossless audio quality – significantly better than streaming video services provide (which typically only offer lossy audio quality and often in MP3 or CD quality). For audiophiles seeking the absolute best in audio quality, the Blu-ray release provides that lossless presentation that fans are looking for.

Tsurune: The Linking Shot - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The one area of the release that is underwhelming is the supplemental package. The release could have benefited from a more extensive and in- depth bonus features package. The set could have been more impressive with making-of documentaries, behind-the-scenes featurettes, cast and crew interviews, extensive art galleries, and other featurettes exploring the production. Even a behind-the-scenes showcasing the voice-actors working on their lines would have been a fascinating inclusion had the release provided something of that nature. Unfortunately, the release is barebones by comparison and only includes the following on disc bonus material:  

Clean Opening Animation (HD, 1:32)

Tsurune: The Linking Shot - Complete Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tsurune The Linking Shot is an entertaining and beautiful looking anime series set in the world of archery. Fans of archery who have been following the first season along will want to continue the journey and see what happens next. The art style for the series is impressive and there are a lot of noteworthy qualities to the production. The Blu-ray release provides a solid high-definition video presentation and lossless audio. The only area of the release that could be better is the supplemental package. Nonetheless, fans of Tsurune The Linking Shot who want to own the series and want the best possible picture and audio quality obtainable may wish to consider a purchase to add to their collection. Recommended.